Arrahcement of mechanism for sawing off piles tinder water



l same sliding UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

VINCENT PALEN, OF PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA.

ARRANGEMEN T OF MECHANISM FOR SAWING OFF PILES UNDER WATER.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 11,872, dated October 31, 1854.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, VINCENT PALEN, of Portsmouth, in the county ofNorfolk and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Machines for Sawing oif Piles under Water; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making apart of the same in which Figure l represents a side view, and Fig. 2,represents a horizontal section taken at the red line m .t of Fig. l.

Similar letters in both the figures refer to like parts.

The nature of my invention relates to the arrangement of the guides andsaw on the frame, so that the guides will bring up and steady the sawagainst the pile to be sawed off, and the saw shaft have a bearing ateach of its ends, to prevent the saw from cramping or buckling in itskerf.

Various machines for sawing oftl piles under water have been `essayed,but from some radical defect in their operation have failed. And in someinstances, in the construction of docks or coifer dams, the immenselabor of drawing the piles had to be resorted to, where if allowed toremain after being sawed 0H to the proper height, great additionalsecurity to the work might have been attained. The principle beingtherefore well known, I only allege novelty in the arrangement of theparts by which I aid the saw in being guided and held up to its work.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe the same with reference to the drawings.

The entire apparatus may be arranged on a hull or fioat A, on which issubstantially arranged the two uprights B, C. In the bow of the float isarranged the sliding frame D, supported to the upright B at top by astrap E, passing around it and the upright, and to the hull by the guidepiece F. An arm G, projects from said sliding frame, which furnishes asupport for the upper end of the saw shaft H, the lower end of said sawshaft being supported in the piece I, in close proximity to the saw a,which enables the saw to run in its kerf without cramping. The saw shaftis square, and passes through a similar square hole in the pulley J,said pulley being retained in its vertical position by the forked arm b,secured to the hull. The saw may be driven by an endless around a pulleyor drum K, and around the pulley J, and may be driven by hand or anyother power. To the lower end of the sliding frame D, is attached theguides or guide pieces L, which embrace the pile and guide and steadythe saw while cutting. On an arm M immediately over the point in whichthe pile is held in the guides, is hung by block and tackle or othermeans, a clutch N, which is let down over the head of the pilesufiiciently far to clutch said head, when it is drawn back by the blockand tackle, and which both aids to hold up the float to the pile, andalso to raise up the top of the pile as it is sawed, to give the sawfree play in its kerf. The clutch is constructed as follows: d is theclutch head which may be made of segments, or solid, and in said headare placed a series of L shaped dogs, pivoted at the angles l, 2. Whenthe clutch is lowered over the pile head, the points of the dogs e e (indotted lines in Fig. 2,) raise up and slip over the pile. IVhen theclutch is raised, by the cords or chains f, the points take into thepile and firmly hold therein for the purpose before alluded to. Thesliding frame has a cord or chain O, attached to it which .passes overthe'pulleys P, Q, and terminates in a weight R, for balancing saidframe. When the frame is lowered to the proper place, it is held by aneccentric clamp g, bearing aga-inst it. L is a rack for holding the pawlz', which strains up or loosens the belt c, as may be desired. S, is atug there being one on each side, passing through staples j, to aid inholding the ioat up to the work.

Having thus fully described the nature of my invention I would statethat I am aware that a bearing has been used at each end of the sawshaft, and I do not therefore claim this when not combined with theguides, but

IVhat I do claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is* Thecombination of the devices for guiding and holding the saw up to thekerf, so as to prevent it from cramping and buckling in its kerf, thesame consisting in the arrangement of the guides and saw shaft on theadjustable frame, in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

VINCENT PALEN.

shaft and saw belt c passing Witnesses:

A. B. SToUGHToN, SAML. GRUBB.

